


Without the War

by Mserio



Category: OZ | Sword of Etheria, She-Ra - Fandom, SheRa - Fandom, sheraandtheprincessesofpower - Fandom
Genre: Angst, F/F, Lesbian, PTSD, Trauma, wlw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:15:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26330977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mserio/pseuds/Mserio
Summary: The war with Horde Prime has technically ended, but there is still a lot of work for the Princesses to do before they can get their happy ending. And for Adora, although she won, the trauma of the war sticks with her, tainting the happy life she so desperately wants to have. Can she control her heroic impulses, or will her trauma get the best of her, making her lose everything?Trigger Warning for gore and flashbacks.
Relationships: Friendship - Relationship, Girlfriend - Relationship, wlw - Relationship
Comments: 10
Kudos: 16





	1. Losing Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> Gore and PTSD Warning

In Adora’s dreams, she never won. The enemy always overwhelmed her, her friends couldn’t recover from being chipped, and she could never transform when she needed She-Ra the most. Catra never woke up, never healed, never confessed her love. In her dreams she always lost. She lost the war, her friends, the girl she loved and herself.

  
In Adora’s dreams the darkness swallowed her and Catra’s screaming voice died out. Adora’s dreams were full of scarily possible what-ifs. What-ifs that plagued Adora’s every sleeping moment as well as waking.

  
That’s why, when Adora fought in real life, she abolished the what-ifs before they could even tip to the point of possibility. Before Bow even had the chance to run out of arrows, Adora was demolishing the extra targets. Before Glimmer would have to teleport out of a tight situation, Adora was there to eliminate the threat. Before Catra would have to come up with a clever distraction, Adora would wipe out anything that dared to threaten her.  
While the war had technically ended when Adora had removed Horde Prime from the face of Etheria, there had been a fair amount of clones who weren’t as stoked as Wrong Hordak about becoming permanent residents of Etheria. And by fair amount, Adora meant thousands. Brightmoon forces had been able to scare them off after the Battle of Etheria ended, but in the weeks that followed the battle, they had recuperated and were starting up their own rebellion in the name of their “Undying Horde Prime”. Compared to the last couple months of the war, converting the leftover clones or dispensing of them when they got violent (which unfortunately was all the time), was easy lightwork that the princesses took with all the grace in the world. After all, it was one of the first steps in the rebuilding of Etheria, and the Princesses were very grateful to have something other than the war to focus on. At first, Adora saw it that way too; just another easy mission that’s completion would ensure a brighter future. That was before her nightmares reached a horrendous peak.

  
Now, while they freed their 3rd city from the clones’ clutches, Adora refused to become complacent. She was She-Ra 80% of the time, and refused to step down from the front lines even for sleep. She tried to hide it from everyone else, but sleep was Adora’s greatest enemy, because the second she closed her eyes, gory, grotesque images of death bombarded her mind, refusing it rest.

  
On her fourth sleepless night, the Brightmoon forces had just finished setting up camp outside a sister-town of Selineas. Mermista, Glimmer, and Adora were the leads on this operation, while Bow and Entrapta went back to Brightmoon with the other princesses to head over other operations. Adora had offered Catra a position as mission leader, but she had politely declined and taken the backseat.

  
“No, I think you guys have got this one handled,” Catra had answered the previous night as they had made their way towards Selineaus.

  
Her response had surprised Adora initially, as Catra wasn’t typically the person to let others take charge, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she would have been more surprised if she had said yes. Catra was still very timid and nervous around the other princesses, even though they had all forgiven her. Adora was constantly telling Catra that what she did was in the past, and her actions now were what counted, but she supposed Catra still wasn’t comfortable stepping up to lead when the last time she had been a leader was on the opposing side.

  
As Adora transformed into She-Ra and put on armor alongside Catra, she marveled at how much her former enemy, now girlfriend had changed. How much Prime had changed her. To be truthful, despite running on less than an hour of sleep, thinking of the trauma and pain Prime had caused Catra, helped Adora scrounge up extra strength when she brought her sword down on uprising clones. As the last of her armor clinked into place, Adora realized that Catra was staring at her.

  
“What are you staring at?” Adora said, trying to pull off a sly grin to disguise the dark circles under her eyes.

  
“You look,” Catra scanned her 8ft, muscular body, “tired.”

  
Adora turned her posture inward slightly, conscious that her sleep deprivation was starting to show even in her She-Ra form. It was true, too. Adora had noticed that the gold aura She-Ra usually possessed had dulled to a faint blur, her eyes’ icy blue glow had turned gray and dim, and even in She-Ra form her legs felt weak and shaky.

  
“I’m fine,” Adora replied, turning away from Catra, “Just ready to kick some clone ass.”

  
She smiled back quickly, and marched out of the tent before Catra could notice too much. Outside, Glimmer and Mermista were debriefing a group of soldiers, consisting of anyone from Brightmoon guards to nearby locals who wanted to help reclaim their planet.

  
“And so,” Glimmer continued, “Our goal today is to extract the clones peacefully and without disruption. I know we haven’t had the best success with this approach-”

  
“You could say that,” Mermista groaned, more concerned with her cuticles than Glimmer’s announcement.

  
“Buuut, please remember, the war is won. These missions are just to contain any clones that still think they can control Etheria. We are looking to deescalate the situation with minimal disruption.”

  
“Good news, however,” Glimmer exclaimed, clapping her hands together so that a small puff of glitter erupted around them, “This is our last reported city left in clone control! So, hopefully, after today, we can all go home and focus our attention elsewhere. You guys have fought extremely hard, and everyone here deserves a break.”

  
For some reason, Adora felt as though Glimmer’s last comment had been directed towards her.

  
“So, if anyone has anything to ask or say, now would be the time or we can go into town and finish up the job.”

  
The crowd was silent, lax of questions or concerns due to the amount of times this strategy had been reviewed. Glimmer was about to excuse everyone to head out, when Adora felt Catra move from her side and to the front of the crowd.

  
“Um, actually,” Catra said, clearly timid in the spotlight, “I have a suggestion?”

  
Glimmer smiled warmly, motioning for her to take her place at the front. Catra hugged herself protectively and stepped forward, keeping her eyes down until she was in the front. She looked up and stared directly at Adora, her eyes full of doubt and insecurity. Adora smiled, trying to convey her support.

  
Catra took a deep breath, and looked back up at the crowd.

  
“Hey, um so,” Catra began, her voice abnormally small and quiet, “I know you guys probably don’t want to hear from me, considering I probably tried to conquer you at some point.”  
A couple of people in the crowd frowned, but most looked disinterested.

  
“Sorry about that,” Catra continued, “I’m actually sorry about a lot of things, but I also know sorry is just a word. It’s not really going to make anything better. So I thought I could help here, since I noticed something about the clones.”

  
Adora furrowed her brow, wondering where Catra was going with this.

  
“I noticed that when you guys gather up all the clones and start to do your little speech thing, the clones aren’t really listening. They don’t really care if you guys are trying to rebuild Etheria for the better, or that they can receive a full pardon if they cooperate” Catra’s voice began to grow in volume and strength, regaining its usual excited edge.

  
“Clones don’t think like that. All they care about it is Horde Prime. I know, because-” Catra’s voice began to strain, and her hand instinctively grabbed the back of her neck, where Adora knew to be the scar left behind by Prime’s chip “because I’ve- I’ve had experience.”

  
Chills ran up and down Adora’s spine, causing her hair to stand on end. Chipped Catra was something neither of them liked to talk about, and anyways Adora couldn’t really get Catra to open up about what exactly had happened on Prime’s ship. All she knew was that sometimes, in the middle of the night when Adora was feigning sleep, Catra would wake up screaming and clawing at the back of her neck. It would take hours of Adora’s calming whispers and secure hugs to calm her down and convince her that Prime was gone.

  
“So what are you suggesting we do, Catra?” Glimmer asked.

  
“Well, first of all in order to get their attention, you need to start talking about Horde Prime. Just say whatever about him, and they’ll listen. Its in their programming. I think we can get them to release control of the town if we tell them its what Horde Prime wanted. Honestly, they’re not that smart without him, and it might be the only way to handle this without any violence.”

  
Catra paused, allowing the crowd to reflect. To Adora it was a brilliant idea that showcased how genius Catra could be. It was also beautiful proof of how hard Catra was working to redeem herself, and Adora felt a surge of pride zap her muted emotions.

  
“That’s actually a really good idea,” Glimmer said, looking pleasantly surprised, “But was there something else?”

  
Adora expected Catra to shake her head and come back to her side, but instead Catra said, “Yes, there is one more thing. I also think there’s another reason why the clones are so quick to revolt.”

  
“I think the clones get more agitated when they see She-Ra. I mean they know she’s the one that killed Horde Prime, and so I think they might be calmer if Adora stayed behind..”

  
Catra looked away from the crowd and back to Adora, her heterochromatic eyes pleading for forgiveness. Shock slammed into her body like waves on a beach.

  
Stay back? She couldn’t. She needed to be there with her friends in case something went awry.

  
Glimmer took her spot back, and Adora thought she would be saved, but instead Glimmer condoned Catra’s idea by saying, “I think those are some excellent observations Catra. We’ll implement them when we get into town.”

  
With that, she dismissed everyone to start their trek to the town line, and immediately found Adora’s gaze.

  
“Adora,” Glimmer began, trying to sound sensitive, “I’m sorry but I think Catra’s right.”

  
“What no,” Adora protested, needing to get her say in, “What if something goes wrong? What if you need She-Ra? If something happened to you guys, I would never-” Adora’s voiced hitched, preventing her from finishing her sentence.

  
Catra had now joined Glimmers side, not having the decency to look completely guilty for suggesting She-Ra stay behind. Instead, while she looked a little apprehensive for Adora’s reaction, she had a set jaw that said she would not be changing her mind.

  
“Adora,” Catra said, taking She-Ra’s muscular hands in her own, dainty ones, “We’ll be fine. That’s the whole point of you staying behind, so things don’t escalate.”

  
“Stay here, get some sleep. We’ll have the situation handled in a couple hours.” Catra reached up and placed her palm on Adora’s cheek. Adora closed her eyes, wishing to deny the tears in the corner of her eyes the pleasure of racing down her cheeks.

  
“Trust me,” Catra whispered.

  
And in that moment, Adora wanted to. She wanted to transform and collapse right then and there in Catra’s arms. But she couldn’t. She had to stay strong and protect the people she loved.

  
“Alright,” Adora whispered back, knowing her true intentions.

  
Catra smiled and let go of Adora’s hand before turning to join Glimmer as they packed up to head to the town. Adora went back to the tent she and Catra shared, pretending to lie down for a restful nap. It was forty-five minutes before Adora was sure the entire troop had packed up and departed. She was hyper-aware of every sound that echoed throughout the camp, not wanting to risk being caught following the group. When she was sure the camp was empty, she transformed back into She-Ra with some difficulty, and headed off toward the road to town. She knew the path to only be a few miles long, but with exhaustion weighing heavy on her muscles, even sustaining a light jog was pushing Adora’s limits.

  
Around halfway, she was forced to stop and catch her breath. Doubled over and panting heavily, the reality of her exhaustion and actions swallowed her.

  
Was she really jeopardizing the mission just because she couldn’t stand not being in control of a situation?

  
For a second she considered doing the logical thing, and turning around back to camp to give what every fiber in her body craved: sleep. For a beautiful second she could imagine herself plopping down on a cot and giving in to the incessant lull behind her eyes, but the second didn’t last. That tranquility was shattered with images of Glimmer and Catra, along with the rest of the troop, being overwhelmed by an unanticipated attack from the clones. The way Catra’s voice had cracked while talking about Prime, reverberated through Adora’s ears, and suddenly, Adora was no longer hunched over on a lonely dirt path, but standing in the futuristic, slick command center of Primes ship.  
Catra stood ahead of her, her back to the edge of a dangerously high overlook, but she wasn’t the Catra Adora had come to love. She was donned in all-white, with a grey Horde symbol emblazoned on her chest, and her usually wild hair was slicked back, not allowing a strand out of place. Most jarring of all, however, were her eyes. They were no longer their vibrant heterochromatic yellow and blue, but were now bright green and soulless. Catra was laughing, her high pitched snicker horribly clashing with Primes deep, constrained cackle.

  
“I don’t think I have much use for your Catra anymore,” Chipped Catra said, the overlapping voices echoing simultaneously. Prime gave Adora a wicked smirk through Catra’s manipulated expressions, and with a small wave, he sent the love of her life leaning backwards, to tumble off the overlook and to the unforgiving floor below.

  
Adora reached out, trying to pull her back to safety, but she moved in slow motion, and her fingers missed Catra by inches. Adora fell to the ground, closing her eyes and screaming in grief, but when she opened them she was She-Ra again, and she was looking at the dirt path she had been pursuing a few moments ago.

  
Her entire body shook, and confusion coursed through her veins. She wasn’t on Prime’s ship, she never had been, but it had all felt so real. She swore she could still feel the chill Prime’s voice left on her skin, despite the warmth of the day. She looked around to see if anyone had seen her lapse in reality, but she was completely alone. Slowly, she stood up, still shaken by her flashback. She wiped the tears off her face, and took a few steady breaths, trying to throw away the constricted feeling in her chest.

  
Adora wasn’t sure what had just happened, but she knew one thing. She was never going to put Catra in that kind of danger ever again. And she would never come that close to losing her ever again.  
She set off towards the town again, a steely determination guiding her path.

The town was relatively small compared to its grander sister-city, Selineaus, and was catty-cornered between the embankment of the river and the ocean. Cobblestone bridges crossed the raging river and lead directly to the town center. An array of brightly painted cottages bordered the town outskirts, and a warm, salty breeze blew through the long grass and cattails that snuggled up against the manicured lawns of the cottages. The town would have been a picturesque example of the perfect beach getaway, if not for the remnants of Prime’s clones. Here and there, posters of the Horde’s symbol scattered the deserted walkways.  
The town was quiet, but if Adora listened hard enough, she could hear the tell-tale chatter of a crowd carried on the wind. As Adora advanced stealthily to the main square, brisk reminders of the scar Prime had left on Etheria jumped out from window panes and hidden corners. Each block she passed, the din of the gathering grew louder and louder until she could hear distinct conversations coming through a narrow alley on her left. In her She-Ra form, the alleyway was barely wide enough to permit her wide shoulders entry through, but Adora wasn’t comfortable transforming back into herself. She told herself it was because she needed to be ready to fight at a moment’s notice, but in truth, she was scared if she turned back into Adora she might collapse. The alleyway opened up into the main square, allowing Adora clear sight of the gathering that was taking place.

  
A large crowd of clones and townspeople had gathered in the center of the square, keeping their attention relatively focused on the group of people standing on a small podium in front of them. Adora was positioned so that the people on the podium had their backs to her, but she could clearly tell who they were. Glimmer stood at the center of the podium, a microphone held in her hand, and a page of notes in the other. It looked like she was trying to get the microphone to work, but was unsuccessful as she made a few rude gestures and nearly threw the microphone in anger. Luckily, Mermista took it away and began fiddling with it before the microphone could meet its demise. Judging by her annoyed expression, she wasn’t having much luck with it either, and although Adora couldn’t hear what they were saying, she was willing to bet her sword that they were all wishing Bow were here. Before she could become completely frustrated, however, Catra took the microphone away, twiddled with it for a few seconds, and handed it back with a satisfactory smirk.

  
A crackle of static broke through the murmuring crowd, bringing everyone’s attention to the front. Once Glimmer was sure her voice could be heard through the faulty microphone, she began the speech they had discussed back at camp. As Glimmer’s decisive and influential voice washed over the crowd, Adora couldn’t help but relax her shoulders and feel the tension unwind. Perhaps Catra had been right, it seemed like they were handling this pretty well without her.

  
As Glimmer talked, the clones gradually became less agitated, and a few even seemed interested in what Glimmer had to say. Consequently, as the clones began to settle down, the villagers began to relax as well. By the time she reached the end of her speech, Glimmer had all of the clones eating out of the palm of her hand.

  
It actually seemed like they were going to be able to handle this liberation free of any conflict. That was until an older man near the front of the crowd recognized one of the speakers on the podium.

  
“Hey,” he croaked, his voice warbled by age, “You’re that Horde girl!”

  
He pointed at Catra, who stepped back, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, wich was hard considering she flushed the same scarlet as her tightly fitted shirt.

  
“Yeah!” someone else piped up, “I recognize her! She’s the one that attacked Selineaus a couple of months ago!”

  
“You’re the reason my sister’s homeless,” the old man yelled with a surprising amount of anger.

  
Catra slowly backed away as the crowd began to throw more and more accusations at her. Her ears were flat against her head, a sign of submission, and although embarrassed, a raw amount of remorse reflected on her face.  
As much as Adora wanted to march up there and shield Catra from the worst of the onslaught, she knew her appearance would only worsen the crowd’s temper by getting the clones involved. At the moment, Catra wasn’t in any physical harm, and Adora trusted that Glimmer could reign in the villagers.

  
“Please! Please!” Glimmer yelled into the microphone, trying to overpower the crowd’s jeers, “Listen! Catra has made some mistakes, even she admits that.”

  
Catra nodded fervently, trying to display her compliance. A few people quieted.

  
“But what matters is that she’s here now, and she’s trying to make things right. She’s also really, really sorry for what she did.”

  
Catra leaned forward hesitantly, “I am. You’ll never know how sorry I am for the pain I have caused you. I know I will forever be in your debt, and you can hate me as much as you want, but please let us help you.”  
Most of the crowd had quieted, either moved by her words or still silently hating her, but the important part was that the crowd was still and relatively peaceful again. That was until Adora saw the old man reach down, grab something, and then hurl it with all his might at Catra.

  
Whatever he had chucked, hit Catra in the face hard, causing her to drop her head into her hands with a howl of pain. Adrenaline and instinct overtook Adora, making her run towards Catra’s aide. It was only when she was nearly to the podium she realized that the sailing object had been a rotten tomato, and the worst Catra had suffered was a face full of tomato mush. Catra’s look of shock, on the other hand, was enough to tell her how horribly she had messed up.  
The demeanors of the two types of people in the crowd switched completely. While a second ago, the townspeople had been agitated and on the verge of a riot, they now sat entirely still with pleasurable smiles on their faces. Whereas the previously tranquil clones, now adopted the rebellious and aggressive persona of the villagers.

  
The clones may have been lacking in brain cells and free thought, but they could recognize their exalted Prime’s killer anyday.

  
“There is villainous She-Ra, slayer of our beloved Prime,” One of them screamed in a sadly monotonous voice.

  
“Yes! She dare presents herself as a hero after her treacherous act of murder!” Another one agreed in an identical voice.

  
“Today,” the first clone yelled, “Today we avenge our master! Today She-Ra pays for her crimes against all-mighty Horde Prime!”

  
Adora barely had time to mutter a curse, much less draw her sword before dozens upon dozens of clones converged on her, all screaming for justice.

  
Adora was able to throw the first few off with a few well-placed punches and elbows, but for every one she knocked down, two filled their place. Even with Glimmer, Catra, and Mermista joining in, it was like fighting one of those regenerating robots the Horde used to send out. Every blow the swarm sustained was returned on Adora in double.

  
Perhaps on a good day she could summon some of She-Ra’s raw power and blast the clones into dust row by row until they were all gone. But today was not a good day. She could barely block the blows coming from all angles and sides, much less take the offense.

  
Two clones were able to restrain her by her arms, and force her into a kneeling position. Desperately she yelled for help, but Glimmer was busy power-punching a cluster of clones, and Catra was a blur of claws, too fast to even be touched. Mermista was no where to be seen, and for the first time in a long time, Adora was scared for her own safety.

  
The clone who had originally called out to Adora stepped out from the crowd, recognizable from a vertical scar running from the base of his lime-green eye to his jaw. Adora’s attention was drawn to his hand, where he rolled a small marble, the same color as his eyes, between his fingers.

  
He knelt in front of her, dancing the marble from one finger to the next in a mesmerizing fashion.

  
“Glory be to Horde Prime,” he whispered. He brought the marble down, and touched it to the runestone of her sword. For a second, nothing happened, but then Adora felt her sword grow unbearably cold before she could let go in shock.

  
She looked down at her hand, where the freezing sensation remained, and gasped. Where she had been holding the hilt of her sword only a second ago, was the epicenter of a bright-green spiderweb of veins, fastly growing and snaking their way up to her arm, then her neck, and then the rest of her body. In a matter of seconds she had become an intricate design of green veins, each one pulsing madly with a agonizing cold. The cold grew and grew until she was sure she would turn to ice.

  
She took a shallow breath, the best she could do as the pain tightened to a breaking point. She tilted her head back and screamed, wanting only an end, and not caring how it came. In a final, agonizing spasm, she felt her entire body seize and shrink. She was being forced back into her own body.

  
As Adora, her pain, although not vanquished, subsided, allowing her to take a few deep breaths. She looked up at her tormentor, her vision fuzzy and dark at the edges. The clone smiled ruefully and said, “Its too bad. You don’t seem much of a threat in this state.”

  
Before Adora could begin to understand his meaning, the clone flicked his fingers, and Adora caught a glimpse of movement behind her, before she felt a dull impact from behind.  
The clones let go of her, and she wondered why they had decided to release her before realizing that sensation in her back hadn’t been so much dull as it had been sharp, and the impact hadn’t been impact at all. Warmth on her stomach brought her attention to the tip of a spear jutting out from her chest, and intense pain broke through her shock.

  
She tried to scream, but something thick had clogged her throat, erasing her voice. She coughed, and thick blood spilled from between her lips. Time seemed to slow down and skip incomprehensibly, reminding Adora horribly of the time warping she had experienced when Hordak’s portal nearly destroyed Etheria. One second, the sea of clones was thick and impenetrable, and the next, all were laying unconscious in a puddle of water. She blinked and she could see Catra across the square. She blinked again to find herself in Catra’s arms.

  
Catra’s eyes were wide as Adora felt her hands probe the spear impaling her back to front. Catra’s mouth was moving up and down frantically, but Adora discovered she couldn’t hear the words she was speaking. Only an intense buzz, like a million bees, filled her ears.

  
Her vision was starting to blur and darken, bringing with a dawning horror that she had lost. For the first time in the waking world, Adora had lost.

  
As she felt herself slipping farther and farther away, she grabbed Catra’s hand, squeezing it tight in her panic, hoping that the darkness would not claim her.

  
It did.

***  
Hey guys! So this is the end of part 1/2 of my She-Ra fanfiction! I hope you guys enjoyed it, and I will upload 2/2 as soon as I get the chance. This is one of my first fanfictions so just take that into consideration while reading! Happy reading! Also don’t be afraid to give me some feedback, I’m always looking for ways to become a better writer.


	2. Our Destinies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra watches the unthinkable happen to Adora, and deals with her own emotions while she hopes for Adora to recover

Catra was too busy wiping tomato mush out of her eyes to pin point the exact moment everything went to shit, but she could guess it was when a certain blonde, buff, and incredibly stupid Princess decided to show her face to a crowd of hostile clones. Catra barely had time to throw Adora a look of complete shock before a wave of clones broke their collective thought, “Oh shit”.

  
The sea of white and green was so thick and overwhelming that Catra wasn’t entirely sure what happened in the next couple of seconds, except that her body had snapped into fight mode, sending her from clone to clone, destroying the chips on their necks. She was too quick to be caught within firing range of the clones’ blasters, and too agile to receive any of their poorly aimed punches. From the corner of her eye, she saw small puffs of glitter erupting from a particularly stunned group of clones, evidence of Glimmer’s resistance, and she smiled. That princess sure knew how to put up a fight.  
The clones that had converged on Catra had dissipated heavily, either lying in a heap or turning their backs on Catra’s razor sharp claws to join a thickly packed circle of clones in the center of the square. The fight seemed to be going well; in only a few minutes Catra had decimated dozens of clones, Glimmer had restrained just as many, and Mermista was sprinting towards the nearest water source, hopefully to deliver the final blow. The only problem was Adora.  
She was nowhere to be seen, and sick twist in Catra’s gut told her that the reason couldn’t be good. Adora was always at the center of the action, regardless of whether she caused it or not, and the fact that Catra couldn’t see her eight foot tall girlfriend was concerning.

  
“Adora!” Catra yelled, hoping to see a blonde ponytail pop up victoriously.

  
Dozens of jeering cheers roared from the crowd of clones that Catra had yet to deal with, a drawn out cry of pain following the hearty exclamations. The scream lengthened, and deepened with anguish, only to be broken by gasping breaths. The scream made Catra physically sick, not only due to the agony the scream portrayed, but because it belonged to Adora.

  
Catra would know, she had heard that same scream in the heart of Etheria. She could feel the burning heat of the heart’s power scorching her back, and feel Adora’s dead weight in her arms. She had been so helpless then, unable to lessen the pain that made Adora gasp for air, the only solace dying with her.

  
“Adora!” Catra screamed again, louder and with more fervor as she sprinted to the cluster. The clones were starting to scram, and Catra finally caught a glimpse of Adora’s bright red jacket.

  
Clones bustled by her, bumping her with no regards to who she was or what she could do. Catra didn’t care though, her only thought was to get to Adora. Not “Why are the clones leaving?” nor “Why would Adora change back?” or “Where’s She-Ra?”

  
With her eyes firmly locked on Adora’s red jacket, it took a second for her to realize that something was wrong. Something was very wrong. It was the type of wrong that made you freeze. It was the type of wrong that sent your world spiraling, splitting you in half, destroying everything in its wake.

  
Adora was on her knees with her hands bound in front of her, her sword disregarded and forgotten. She was leaning slightly forward, as if she were about to pass out, but the thing that made Catra stop in her tracks, wasn’t her weird position or the fact that she wasn’t She-Ra anymore, but the spear that was stabbed through her back. Catra’s chest clenched tightly, unsure of what emotion to feel as her brain could hardly process what she saw. It wasn’t until Adora weakly lifted her head to look for help that Catra could regain muscle movement in her legs.

  
She sprinted to Adoras side, catching her before she could pass out. A tidal wave of water rushed by, wiping out the remaining clones, and clearing the battlefield to expose its casualties. Gently, Catra repositioned Adora so that the weight of her torso rested on her legs, and that her pale face was pointed skywards, looking too peaceful for Catra’s comfort.  
  
The blood on Adora’s chest was bright, slick, and growing at an alarming rate. Catra could feel the warmth of the flow seeping through her tights. Growing horror dawned as Catra realized the final devastating detail of Adora’s demise: thin, electric green veins that snaked their way across her body, covering her neck, face and arms.

  
Panic began to set in, and Catra could feel its dangerous buzz in her veins. She had to keep her cool if Adora was going to make it. Adora needed her right now, and Catra had had enough of not being there for her.

  
“Sparkles!” Catra screamed at Glimmer, an unwelcome sob erupting between words, “Glimmer! Adora needs help! Please!”

  
The purple and pink princess heard her cries, and turned towards Catra, shock widening her eyes and making her jaw drop at the pitiful sight.

  
Catra turned her attention back to Adora, whose eyes had fluttered open. Hope ignited in her chest, and Catra focused intently on the rhythmic heartbeat of Adora’s pulse.

  
“Its okay. I’ve got you, okay? I’m not letting you go.”

  
“Please,” Adora breathed, a bubble of blood growing across her lips with her final cry of mercy.

  
“I’m not letting you go. You are staying, Adora. Do you hear me, you are staying.”

  
Adora looked pleadingly into Catra’s eyes, fear and regret seeping through the baby blues. Weak fingertips desperately brushed against Catra’s palm, and Catra connected the attempt, interlacing her own delicate fingers with Adora’s callused ones in a promise. Adora weakly squeezed Catra’s hand, conveying all the desperation and fear Catra could see in her girlfriend’s fading eyes.

  
Glimmer jogged up behind the couple, and placed on of her hand’s on Catra’s shoulder and the other on Adora’s knee. Catra felt the beginning tingle on her skin that preceded Glimmer’s teleportation, but before the three could fully disappear the pressure on Catra’s hand released, and Adora’s grip slipped away.

***

It had been hours since Catra had returned to Brightmoon. Hours since the royal guards had all but torn Adora from her arms. Hours since Adora had been put on a stretcher, and carried off out of Catra’s protection. And way too many hours since she and Glimmer had received an update on Adora’s condition.

  
Now she sat in the hallway outside the infirmary, hugging her knees to her chest, leaning slightly against Glimmer, waiting for news. Catra tried to not let her mind get away from her too much, but it was impossible since every time she closed her eyes, a blood soaked Adora was suddenly in front of her, hanging onto life by a thread.

  
Catra clenched her fists, her claws sinking deeper into the already bleeding wounds on her palms. The pain helped her stay focused, helped her stay grounded. If she didn’t have the pain, she feared the worst. She feared losing control and erasing everything she had done so far to redeem herself.

  
Catra let out a deep sigh, trying to unwind the tight knot of worry that had replaced her heart. Adora’s blood had now dried on her arms and clothes, staining them for good, but Catra couldn’t care enough to change. In her mind, if she left her spot, Adora would leave forever. Keeping herself as close as possible to Adora was the only thing keeping the doctor from exiting the infirmary with unbearable news.

  
Catra turned her head to Glimmer, realizing that the queen’s eyes had locked themselves on her balled fists. A thin trickle of blood had found its way down her wrist and to her elbow where it threatened to drip onto the polished granite floor. Catra hastened to wipe it away before Glimmer could notice, but the worried glare told her she was too late.

  
“Catra,” Glimmer croaked, her voice gravelly from so many hours of silence, “Are you okay?”

  
Catra tried to reply with a gruff “I’m fine” but the second she opened her mouth to speak, a well-fought sob erupted from her chest. Her eyes began to burn, and with increasing humiliation, she started to cry and shake uncontrollably.

  
Trying to say “I’m fine” when she wasn’t; it broke her. It broke her into a million pieces. Nothing was fine. She had finally been enjoying her life, and disaster had struck again. As her body released every ounce of worry, grief, and despair, she wondered if she was condemned to a life of suffering and loss.

  
Catra felt the pressure of a hand on her shoulder, and turned her head to see that Glimmer had scooted closer to Catra. She wore the look of a worried friend, and Catra realized that for the first time in a long time, she had someone other than Adora to lean on. And so she did.

  
She allowed Glimmer to pull her into a side hug, forcing some of Catra’s weight off herself and onto the princess beside her. Her head resting on Glimmer’s shoulder, Catra found herself calming down. Her chest stopped constricting painfully, and she didn’t feel like the world was closing in on her as much.

  
“I know,” Glimmer sympathized, “I know.”

  
Catra just nodded, biting her lip hard to prevent another onslaught of tears.

  
“Catra,” Glimmer continued, “Adora’s the strongest person I know. She’s going to be okay, I know it.”

  
“She has to be.” Catra whispered.

  
“She will. She will because I’m going to kill her for being so stupid.”

  
At that Catra let out a small laugh. “Not if I kill her first.”

  
A serene pause overcame the two unlikely friends as they reveled in the smallest moment of happiness. A pause that was cut short by the creak of an opening door.

  
Catra and Glimmer popped up quickly, watching the ornate infirmary door swing open slowly. A tall woman with black hair and emerald green eyes stepped out of the infirmary. She wore a long, white coat and held a clipboard in her hands, which she read intently.

  
“You must be Adora’s girlfriend?” the doctor asked, only flicking her eyes up from the clipboard momentarily to glimpse Catra.

  
“Yes.” Catra said, trying to bite back her impatience.

  
“Well, her injuries were quite extensive. And as for the green intrusions, we are unsure of the proper course of action to treat them. I believe we called in a first ones tech expert by the name of ‘En-trap-ta’?”

  
“So she’s alive?” Catra croaked, her voice way higher than usual.

  
“Oh, yes.”

  
Catra released a deep breath she had been holding for hours, and a tingly sensation flooded her hands and face.

  
“Why didn’t you start with that?” Glimmer half scolded, half laughed.

  
“If the patient had died, we would have brought you to a seperate room.” The doctor said, as if it were obvious.

  
“As for her condition…” the doctor tried to continue before being broken off by Catra.

  
“When can we see her?”

  
The doctor stopped her explanation, rolled her eyes, and sighed, “Give me a minute,” before reentering the infirmary.

  
Catra squatted, lightheaded from relief, and Glimmer giggled and whispered thanks to Etheria for the good news.

  
The doctor came back out again, a new clipboard in her hand, and said, “If you two will follow me, I’ll take you to Adora’s room.”

  
Catra stood, and motioned for Glimmer to follow her through the doorway.

  
Glimmer shook her head, “You go.”

  
“What?” Catra asked, “Don’t you want to see her?”

  
“Yes, but I think you two need some alone time.”

  
Glimmer smiled, and Catra realized she was right. She needed to have a private conversation with Adora when she woke up.

  
“Anyways, I should get to Drill. I need to fill Bow and Entrapta in, and then I’ll bring them back.”

  
“Okay,” Catra nodded, hearing the tell-tale chime that followed Glimmer’s teleportation as she turned her back and followed the doctor.

  
The doctor led her through infirmary doors and into a recovery room, where a dozen or so beds were sectioned off with long, white drapes. The potent smell of antiseptic and latex gloves bombarded Catra’s keen senses, reminding her starkly of the unsanitary and terrifying infirmaries back at the Horde. A chill ran down Catra’s spine as she remembered the stained, tiled rooms, always so full of screams and groans. She and Adora would avoid the infirmaries at all costs, no matter how sick they got. It was the only thing that had scared her more as a child than Shadow Weaver.

  
Luckily, the Brightmoon infirmary was nothing like the Horde; its floors were kept sparkling clean, and all of its patients were either sedated or awake and cheery due to the painkillers flooding their systems. Catra hoped Adora’s pain would be as manageable as the patients surrounding her.

  
Eventually, the doctor brought her to the back of the infirmary, where it seemed more critical patients were being held, and stepped into one of the curtained rooms, holding the drapes open for Catra to step inside. Rather than feeling she and Adora were exposed to the publicity of the rest of the infirmary, a thick sense of privacy calmed her nerves, and she was grateful for the sense of isolation.

  
Catra’s shock at the room’s privacy must have been evident on her face, as the doctor pitched her head forward and said, “Its neat huh? The sorcerers enchanted it so patients have the utmost privacy without actually having to build soundproof walls.”

  
Catra nodded, taking in the bright white room and all of its little gadgets and machines, specifically avoiding the bed. For some reason, now that she was aware of Adora’s safety, she felt increasingly terrified to actually see her girlfriend incapacitated.

  
“Would you like to hear about her condition now?” The doctor asked, finally directing Catra’s attention to Adora.

  
Without her usual smug grin and constant action, it was nearly impossible to discern the sleeping, immobile girl in front of her as Adora. Her skin was a few shades past pale, and her cheeks and eyes were sunken in, as if her body was trying to collapse in on itself. A white tube was taped to her mouth, and small, clear ones snaked their way from their corresponding bags and into her arms, which were still covered with the electric green veins.

  
Catra nodded and took a seat next to Adora’s bedside, now finding it harder to look away from her fragile form.

  
“Well, as I was saying, the injuries to her abdomen were quite extensive. Luckily, it seems there won’t be any permanent damage, but she’ll have a long recovery ahead of her.”

  
“No she won’t,” Catra interrupted with a small smile. If there was one thing Adora didn’t take the time to do, it was recover.

  
“Actually,” the doctor countered, taking a softer tone, “She will.”

  
“Why?” Catra asked, “Doesn’t her body heal when she transforms?”

  
“Some injuries even She-Ra can’t heal,” the doctor said, “That is if she could even transform into She-Ra.”

  
“What do you mean?”

  
"While we aren’t entirely sure what the intrusions on her arms are from, or how exactly they harm her, we have concluded that they are what made her transform into her more… vulnerable body.”

  
A small, “Oh,” was all Catra could muster. Some parts of her felt shocked and disheartened by this news, but a larger, more prominent part of her felt an unexpected surge of relief. Maybe this was what Adora needed.

  
A break.

  
A break from being the hero. A break from working herself to the ground. A break from scaring Catra half to death.

  
“Hopefully, this Entrapta will be able to help. I heard she’s a brilliant scientist, do you know her?” the doctor asked, unsure how Catra was taking the news.

  
“Yeah, I do,” Catra said, smiling slightly, “She is brilliant, as long as she doesn’t get distracted and decide to turn Adora into a robot.”

  
The doctor smiled awkwardly, phased by the truth about Entrapta. Fortunately for her, Adora decided to wake up, saving her from responding to Catra’s brash statement. The doctor removed the tube from Adora’s mouth, and spoke calming words as her eyes began to flutter open and her hands started to panickedly grasp at the bedsheets.

  
Catra slid Adora’s hand into her own and squeezed it reassuringly. Adora’s unfocused eyes flickered over to her briefly, but her presence was enough to calm the blonde’s frantic scrambling.

  
Once the doctor had finished checking Adora’s vitals, she stepped out of the room to give the couple some privacy.

  
Catra stroked her finger lightly across Adora’s forehead and whispered, “Hey Adora.”

  
Adora's eyes shifted upwards, locking with Catras, and wheezed back, “Hey Catra.” The smug smile Catra so usually adored splayed across Adora’s face, but in that moment, she didn’t find it endearing at all. It angered her, erasing her previous care and replacing it with desperate resentment.

  
“You are such an idiot.” Catra said, pulling her hand back into her lap.

  
“I know,” Adora gave a wan smile, too drugged to see how upset Catra was.

  
“No, you don’t know.” Catra growled, “If you did, you wouldn’t be such an idiot in the first place!”

  
“Adora, you can’t do that to me. We are not in a war anymore. You don’t have to be the hero all the time. I thought you understood this. I thought I was enough.”

  
“You don’t understand.” Adora replied as she tried to sit up.

  
“No! You don’t understand,” Catra seethed, pushing Adora (gently) back down.

  
“Adora,” Catra’s voice cracked, “You almost died! DIED! And we’re not even fighting stupid Prime anymore.”

  
“You almost died in my arms for nothing at all.”

  
“Well, guess what Catra,” Adora said in a low voice, her ashy-blonde hair falling in her face, “You DID die in my arms!” Now Adora’s voice was cracking. “You died in my arms, Catra! And I almost couldn’t save you. Do you know how scared I was?”

  
“Adora…” although not gone, Catra’s anger started to dissipate, “That’s over now. I’m okay. Its over.”

  
“Its never over for me,” Adora whispered, tears sparkling in her blue eyes.

  
At that, Catra didn’t know what to say, and so the two sat in a tense silence until it was broken by the rustle of the drapes being drawn open.

  
A petite princess with large, lilac pigtails and dressed in purple coveralls stepped into the room.

  
“Hi guys,” Entrapta squealed excitedly. She wasn’t the best at reading the room. “I heard you got stabbed, Adora. That’s not good, maybe you should try to not do that.”

  
Adora laughed, wiping away her tears from their fight. Catra did the same. They could finish their conversation later, right now, despite how angry Catra was with Adora, she would be there for her.

  
“Yeah, its something she’s working on,” Catra said with a knowing look as she retook her seat next to the bed.

  
Entrapta nodded seriously and walked over to Adora, and began to closely inspect the green veins that laced their way across Adora’s arms, chest, neck, and even the frame of her face. Adora’s chest had been bandaged tightly with white cloth, acting as a bra and protection for the ugly stab wound that undoubtedly throbbed beneath the many layers of cotton.

  
“Bow and Glimmer said they’d be coming later,” Entrapta explained as if everyone was pondering their absence.

  
“Why later?” Adora asked.

  
“Well, Bow kind of fainted when Glimmer told him what happened. I don’t know why though, I mean Glimmer said you were okay.”

  
Adora smiled, “Bow’s great in an emergency unless someone actually gets hurt. Then he panics.”

  
“Yes, I guess that is a natural response to stress. But I still don’t see why he did it. I mean fainting isn’t going to help anything,” Entrapta mused. She was quickly scribbling pages of notes with her hair as she continued to examine Adora’s body.

  
“Do they hurt?” Catra asked, as Entrapta prodded one of the veins causing Adora to flinch.

  
“No, not really,” Adora said, “They’re just really cold.”

  
“Well that would make sense,” Entrapta said, “Since this seems to be a prototype of Prime’s virus.”

  
Adora gulped and went a few shades paler still. “What does that mean?”

“Well, its fascinating really,” Entrapta began, the all too familiar pitch of excitement leaking into her voice, “It seems as though the virus instabilitizes the connection between you and She-Ra, preventing you from transforming!”  
Puzzled looks from Adora and Catra were all Entrapta received.

  
“The virus is basically freezing the She-Ra cells in your body so you can’t transform! It could take months or maybe even years of studying to fully understand! Ah- ha!” Entrapta finished with a happy squeal, contrary to look of complete terror that had overtaken Adora.

  
“So, I can’t transform?” Adora squeaked.

  
“Yes!”

  
“Ever?”

  
“Not until we find a way to get rid of Prime’s virus! My guess is this was one of Prime’s prototypes he didn’t like!” Entrapta said enthusiastically. “That’s why your body can’t get rid of it like Prime’s last virus! Isn’t it great!?”

  
Adora looked from Entrapta to Catra, and back to Entrapta again, a wall of tears coating her eyes quickly. She bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut, clearly having a hard time processing this information.

  
The anger Catra had been holding onto so resolutely vanished entirely; clearly there was something else going on rather than Adora just being her stubborn self.

  
“Entrapta? Can you give us a few minutes?” Catra said, turning to the inquisitive princess.

  
“Why? I just got here? There’s so many experiments to be done!” Entrapta replied, oblivious to Adora, who was now struggling to take calming breaths.

  
Catra gritted her teeth and took a deep breath. She had to remind herself that Entrapta always meant good, even if she couldn’t pick up on emotional cues.

  
“Please?” Catra said, raising her eyebrows and jerking her head slightly towards Adora.

  
“OOOHH! You want me to go because she’s crying!” Entrapta sighed in realization, “Why didn’t you say so?”

  
Catra groaned and pinched her nose: she had already sent Entrapta to Beast Island once, she wasn’t really in any position to get mad, especially when Entrapta was just trying to help.

  
“Okay! I’ll come back later!” Entrapta said as she walked out, using her hair to wave and her hands to pull open the curtains.

  
“She means well.”

  
Adora wiped her eyes on the bedsheet, “Yeah, I know.”

  
“Adora,” Catra took Adora’s hands in her own, “What’s going on?”

  
“Nothing, I’m fine.”

  
“Bullshit.” Catra said, “You can’t pull that on me. I can tell when something’s bothering you.”

  
Adora bit her lip, unsure if she wanted to amit the truth even to herself.

  
“I just can’t believe I lost her again,” Adora whispered in a low voice.

  
“But you haven’t lost her completely,” Catra began slowly, knowing Adora was not going to like what she had to say next.

  
“Entrapta’s going to figure this out. I know it…. But I think you need a break.”

  
“What? No, I don’t. Thats the exact opposite of what I need. I slipped up, I just need to work harder and sharpen my senses more, that’s all.” Adora protested.

  
“No! Adora, you don’t get it!” sternness coated Catra’s words, turning their edges sharp.

  
“This happened because you’ve been overworking yourself. And you don’t need to. You can rest now.” Catra pleaded, “Please, rest for me…”

  
“I can’t rest,” Adora’s words came out forced and strained.

  
“The war’s over, Adora. Why don’t you see that?”

  
“Because its never over for me.”

  
Catra looked at Adora, confused. She had her eyes closed and jaw clenched tightly, as if she was focusing her energy on preventing something from clawing its way out of her throat.

  
“What do you mean?”

  
“I mean.. I mean…” her voice trailed off.

  
Catra squeezed Adora’s hands, trying to convey support. Adora was holding back, but not for much longer.

  
She looked up from the wrinkle in the sheets she had been focusing intently on throughout their conversation. Her chin wrinkled and her face creased as a raw sob made its desperate escape.

  
“I mean its never o-o-over for me,” she choked on her words as they came tumbling out without her permission. “I see the war e-everywhere. I see you everywhere.”

  
“Of course you do, dummy,” Catra said softly, “We’re practically joined at the hip.”

  
“No, not like that.” Adora smiled weakly, “I see the other you. You on Prime’s ship. Everytime I close my eyes, you’re there. And you’re dead. You’re dead in my arms, and I can’t save you.”

  
Catra paused, the breath in her lungs caught on realization.

  
“Adora,” Catra whispered, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  
Adora closed her eyes and took a shaky breath.

  
“Because I have to be strong.” Adora’s voice was cracking again, another wave of tears ready to crash through, “I’m She-Ra, right? So I can’t be w- we-weak.”

  
The tears escaped on her last word, consuming her voice.

  
Catra stood, profound sadness weighing heavily on her heart. Never in all the years she had known Adora, had she seen her so fragile. So exposed.

  
Quietly as a cat, Catra lifted the sheets that covered Adora’s legs, and slipped underneath them, cuddling close to Adora’s quivering frame and draping an arm across her quaking shoulders. Catra pulled her close, acting as the shield Adora couldn’t maintain herself.

  
“You don’t have to be strong with me. That’s what I’m here for.” Catra purred, rubbing Adora’s arm and squeezing her tighter.

  
“But I do. That’s why I’m still alive.” Adora breathed, as if she had spoken a secret long-hidden, “I need to protect you.”

  
“What?” Catra asked, “Adora, are you talking about what happened at the heart?”

  
Adora gave a small nod. “I feel like-” Adora swallowed, “I feel like I’m on stolen time. Like what happened at the heart was a fluke and its all going to be taken away from me if I mess up.”

  
All of this came out in a rush, the words tripping and tumbling over themselves as if they had been thrown down a hill.

  
“Adora,” Catra began, not really knowing what she could say to erase those fears, “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”

  
Adora whipped her head around, so that the two were facing each other. Confusion and shock painted her expression. “I don’t think that’s what you are supposed to say.”

  
“Well, I don’t give a damn,” Catra continued, “Cause its the truth.”

  
“How so?” Adora’s concern was still plain as day, but she looked hopeful that her fears might just be that: fears.

  
“What happened at the heart wasn’t a fluke.” Catra picked up Adora’s hand and intertwined it with hers, “It happened because we love each other. That’s our fate.”

  
“You believe in fate?” Adora scoffed.

  
“With you? Yes.” Catra stated. “You survived the heart because you saw a future with me? Right?”

  
Adora nodded.

  
“Well, then make that future happen. Stop worrying about what could have happened and start worrying about what can happen. Cause, I want that future too. I want to love you, marry you, maybe even have a family with you. I want that future, Adora. So stop acting like it was your destiny to die. It wasn’t your destiny to die. And my destiny wasn’t to rule Etheria. I didn’t realize it until much later than I should have, but we are each other’s destinies Adora.”

  
Adora’s lips had parted slightly, but for the first time since the war had ended, she didn’t seem to be searching for the next mission. The next fight.

  
“I love you so much,” Catra purred, resting her forehead against the girl she had just proclaimed her love to.

  
Adora bit her lip and nodded in agreement. She was still crumbling and broken, but she saw Catra’s truth, and that was all that mattered.

  
For a while, Adora sobbed endlessly into Catra’s chest, releasing every emotion she had pent up since the war had ended, but after a while the tears stopped and calm settled in the room.

  
“Did you say you wanted to marry me?” Adora laughed, a taunt lurking in her voice.

  
Heat rose in Catra’s cheeks, and she flushed deep scarlet in embarrassment.

  
“What? No!” Adora raised her eyebrows. “I mean. Yes, maybe. I don’t know.”

  
“Did you just propose to me?” Adora chuckled.

  
“No. I mean I want to get married someday. Maybe. But way in the future.” Catra flustered.

  
“So you do like me! How embarrassing.”Adora laughed, the beautiful sound lightening the mood. “I’m just teasing you. Let’s just say we’re engaged to be engaged. Someday.”

  
“Someday.” Catra’s mouth closed around the word like the promise it undoubtedly was.

  
“Maybe you should kiss me.” Adora proposed, a sly smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

  
“And why would I do that?” Catra teased.  
“I mean it did save the universe once. Our kisses are pretty magical.” Adora said.

  
“They are.” Catra sighed, giving in. She cupped Adora’s cheeks with both her hands, and gently brought her own lips to Adora’s chapped ones.

  
Magic ignited inside her like it always did when they kissed, humming in her chest and warming her entire body. The two deepened their kiss, inspired by the trauma and breakthrough they had both witnessed, and for a second it felt just like the kiss that had saved the universe.

  
However, it wasn’t quite the same. When they pulled away from each other, they both felt happier, but the kiss hadn’t changed anything this time. The green veins still plagued Adora’s body, and dark circles still rested beneath her eyes. Their fairytale moment was over.

  
But that was okay, because they had each other. The war would leave its scars, both physical and emotional, but as long as the two had each other, they could work through it. The trauma and pain could never be forgotten, but with the right motivation and support, Catra knew they would keep the promises they made to each other when they were kids.

The end……. Or not.

Hey guys! So this is the end of my She-Ra fanfic for now. I definitely have more ideas for future fanfics such as a wedding or Princess Prom, so let me know if you want to see those. I had so much fun writing this fan-fiction. She-Ra is something very near and dear to my heart, so I loved exploring the characters in my own light. I will definitely be doing it again in the future. I hope you guys enjoyed it and feel free to give me feedback. Sorry it took so long to update. School and soccer have been crazy, so I’ve been finding spare moments to work on it. See you again soon, friends of Mara!


	3. Go Check out the Sequel: Broken Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I just posted a new fic that directly relates to this one. So if you enjoyed this fic, feel free to go check out Broken Together on my page!

Go check out the sequel to this fic!!!


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